Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to tibial base plates. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to tibial base plates for bi-cruciate sparing orthopedic knee implants in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures.
Description of Related Art
Orthopedic prosthesis include a femoral component that attaches to the distal end of the femur, along with a tibial base plate that attaches to the proximal end of the resected tibia, and an intermediate tibial bearing component that attached to the tibial base plate. The tibial bearing component is used as an intermediate surface to reduce friction and create the needed contact surface area for correct flexion and extension movement.
Generally speaking, the tibial base plate must initially be sized to fit in proportion to the resected cut of the proximal tibial end. Moreover, it must also be sized in correlation with the femoral component to promote proper articulation. A common issue with current bi-cruciate sparing base plate design is that the resection makes the tibial eminence susceptible to avulsion. Current methods have been to have a vertical cut from the anterior to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insertion point. Afterwards, secondary operations would attempt to round out the anterior portion using a file or clippers that can jeopardize the integrity of the tibial eminence.
In addition to protecting the tibial eminence, the surgeon is responsible for proper cutting of the tibia to assure that the tibial eminence is well protected and the tibial base plate does not overhang on the anterior portion of the tibia. The surgeon must also assure that the stem of the tibial base plate is properly placed, in order to create a seamless flow on the anterior portion from the baseplate to the tibia, making sure the integrity of the tibial eminence is not compromised. However, both the risks of tibial eminence avulsion and anterior overhang are prevalent today.